Feast of Glass
A holy festival of Brontha, celebrated annually on the midmonth holiday of Sunrider, dedicated to Zeilar, Patron Deity of Brontha. The Feast of Glass celebrates the prophet Kalor, who founded the holy city and by Zeilar's intervention delivered its people from the Raveners.
History
Erecura perished by the hand of Uzhul on Vindur's day, 6412. Tillibec's hordes erupted through the Mortal World almost immediately. The people of the Sunswept Lands fled to the safety of the City of Springs, behind their red-clay walls.
Then Flamefather Kalor returned from the desert, wearing a cloak adorned with feathers in every color of fire and a censer burning with fragrant incense. By the light of the noonday sun he walked through the Raveners unharmed, for the glare of the day shielded him from their eyes. He came to the walls and rallied the people, calling upon them to pray to Zeilar for deliverance. "For though the earth lies broken beneath us, the light of the Sun is behind us." The people gathered and burned offerings and prayed for four days and four nights, and on the fourth day the clouds in the east resembled a great bird of prey, illuminated a shining red, and as the day passed it grew closer, and at noon the Phoenix descended upon the raveners, scattering them with radiance and terrible burning fire. The deserts beyond the walls of the city melted and became a wasteland of jagged glass.
So did Brontha turn to the Light of Zeilar and the wisdom of Kalor, the first Priest King, and together they raised up the people of the springs beneath the sun into a city of bright parapets and shining ziggurats.
Ever since then, on Zeilar's holy day, Brontha celebrates their deliverance, thanking Zeilar and reaffirming their loyalty to the Sunrider.
Execution
On the 12th of Sunrider, Bronthans begin fasting and making burnt offerings, dedicating the next four days to prayer and remembrance. These days signify the four days of prayer Kalor led the people in to invoke the First Miracle. It's customary for Bronthans to wear red, orange, or yellow during this time, cover their heads, and fast from sunset to sunrise, taking only a small meal at dawn, noon, and dusk. They make offerings to Zeilar at Noon each day, burning incense, food, or written prayers.
The night before Zeilar's Day (the 14th of Sunrider), Bronthans begin preparing a meal for the Feast of Glass. It's customary to stay up late to prepare the meal through the night, symbolic of the renewal that follows Death.
At Dawn on Zeilar's Day, the faithful greet the sun with burned offerings, incense, prayer and song. They change from reds, oranges and yellows to red, white and violet clothing. They gather at the temple or in the home of a prominent community member. The feast is meant to be an anonymous potluck, so nobody flaunts their contributions and nobody is shamed for their lack of means. The feasting table is decorated with clay pots filled with sand and pieces of glass, often colored and shaped to look like flames, commemorating the fires that scourged the Raveners from the walls.
By noon, the feast is well underway, and all stop to stand out beneath the open sky as the Flamefollower (or highest ranking clergy) recites Kalor's Blessing and asks Zeilar's grace for all those gathered and all those scattered. Then, the feast resumes until dusk, at which point everyone is sent home with extra food, both leftovers and dry goods.
Components and tools
- White tablecloths
- Censers (for blessing the food), incense goblets (for individuals)
- Pillarpots (filled with sand and glass shards)
- Four-pointed candelabras (for light and remembrance), vermillion dye
- Oil lamps
- Amulets for prayers, papyrus for inscribing
Related Organizations
Related Ethnicities
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